Fire aboard Jeju offshore fishing vessel; two Korean crew missing, eight rescued.

A 29-ton nearshore fishing vessel, A-ho, registered in Hanrim, caught fire on the morning of the 14th while fishing about 90 kilometers southwest of Chaguido off Jeju Island. The Jeju Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter, seven patrol ships and firefighting resources to the scene as the blaze worsened.

Ten crew were aboard when the fire broke out. Eight have been rescued by nearby fishing boats and Coast Guard crews, including two Korean sailors and six foreigners. Two Korean crew members are still believed to be inside the vessel, according to the captain.

By early afternoon, the hull had burned in an area estimated at about 80 percent, and entry into the vessel remained difficult due to active flames and thick smoke. Firefighting efforts were being conducted from the outside with water cannons as responders worked to contain the blaze.

Among the rescued, six foreign crew members were reported to have inhaled smoke. Four Indonesian sailors reported chest pains and were transported to hospital by a Coast Guard helicopter and a firefighting helicopter around 12:57 p.m.

The coast guard said it would move to interior search operations once the fire is extinguished, based on the captain’s account that the two missing Koreans were resting in the cabins. The plan is to resume interior inspection and search as soon as conditions allow.

This incident matters beyond Korea for several reasons. It highlights maritime safety and search-and-rescue capabilities in a region that sees heavy fishing activity and significant maritime traffic, including routes linking Northeast Asia with Southeast Asia. The event also underscores the presence of migrant workers on Korean fishing vessels and potential implications for labor safety and welfare in East Asian fisheries, factors that can affect seafood supply chains and regional market stability. For the United States, the case illustrates how regional maritime incidents can influence global supply chains, labor practices, and security coordination in the Western Pacific. The Jeju Coast Guard, a unit of Korea’s maritime police, leads the response, reflecting Korea’s ongoing emphasis on coastal safety and rescue operations in busy offshore waters.